(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...Our Economy Around the World and the Leadership We Need
Even as the Presidential elections are watched around the world, the U.S. economy plays a far more immediate role. Yesterday, stock markets around the world crashed; both investors and governments fear that a recession in the U.S. economy will drag the world with it.
Responding to what British papers are calling “Black Monday“, the fed issued the largest interest reduction since 1982. What does that have to do with the Mike Bloomberg or the Presidential elections? The short version is that our economy and our standard of living are in danger. Our leaders in Washington continue to adopt short-sited policies for political victory, instead of offering long term solutions.
Economically, this means that instead of telling the American people to spend more money after 9-11, perhaps we should have adopted a national plan for energy independence. Instead of record deficit spending, perhaps we should have balanced the national checkbook. Instead of offering cuts in long term interest rates, perhaps we should have an honest, national conversation to hold our Representatives accountable for their decisions.
No-one currently running for President seems capable of making any of these politically courageous decisions. They either lack the economic credibility that comes with running a business. They lack ability to speak honestly and openly with the people about the source of the problems. Or, they lack the ability to work with other people, across partisan lines, to solve these difficult problems. We simple cannot afford this kind of leadership anymore - we need something different.
At Unite For Mike, our growing list of volunteers believes that Mike Bloomberg, if elected, can offer the sort of visionary leadership that our country needs right now. Our first step is to ask him to run. Please sign the petition and pass it along to everyone you know.
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I think the fact that Bloomberg has a demonstrated intuitive sense on how these financial markets REALLY work (an how they could respond to various stimulus packages) is a real positive discriminator from the other 2 Parties.
The 2 parties tend to respond based on political stop-gaps (and lobbyists at the Gucci Gulch feeding trough now up yonder on Cap Hill), but we need a response based on solid sense of HOW these markets work/respond. Bloomberg would more likely be able to do that!
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:44 pm
I wonder what it will take for people to reject the bumpersticker belief system that speaks of easy answers to complex problems?
I also hope that people will be open minded enough to consider Mike’s massive credibility premium in this area. I would imagine that his national message will certainly make this case, but it’ll still take people like us to be out there challenging the flimsy claims of other candidates.
January 22nd, 2008 at 5:03 pm
People eat up the simple sound-bite bumper sticker or slick vid for sure. We (and Mike) do not need to get bogged down into the complexities of the mega-issues confronting us, but we do need to convey a sense that the there are a range of doable alternatives each of which have costs/risks/benefits attached. As long as we are up front about that underlying complexity and demonstrate we (Mike)have some understanding of the plausible alernatives and costs, then I think the electorate will have a comfort level.
That is why I think it is important to bring some real noteworthy subject matter experts (SMEs) to bear on these issues and get them under our Issue Umbrella for Mike as much as possible without having the SMEs. He’s already given that a good start with his OU Conference.
Do you have a list of attendees or transcript of that OU Conference? That may be a good one to post here and on the wiki and to build on in our reachout effort. Would be a good way to show we are going beyond the bumpersticker and viral vid stuff.
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Found it!
http://www.ou.edu/etc/medialib/web/pdfs.Par.35945.File.dat/BIPARTISANFORUM.pdf
BIPARTISAN FORUM
JANUARY 7, 2008
THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
PARTICIPANTS:
MR. DAVID ABSHIRE, President, Center for the Study of the Presidency
MR. MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, Mayor of New York City
MR. DAVID BOREN, Former U.S. Senator
MR. BILL BROCK, Former U.S. Senator
MR. BILL COHEN, Former Secretary of Defense and U.S. Senator
MR. JACK DANFORTH, Former U.S. Senator
MS. SUSAN EISENHOWER, President, The Eisenhower Group
MR. BOB GRAHAM, Former U.S. Senator
MR. CHUCK HAGEL, U.S. Senator
MR. GARY HART, Former U.S. Senator
MR. ANGUS KING, Former Maine Governor
MR. JIM LEACH, Former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
MR. SAM NUNN, Former U.S. Senator
MR. EDWARD PERKINS, Former Ambassador
MR. CHUCK ROBB, Former U.S. Senator
MR. MARK WHITE, Former Texas Governor
MS. CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN, Former New Jersey Governor